1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety garments and fall arresting harnesses. Specifically, the invention is an article of clothing having an attached harness for connection to a safety line.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for protection from falls has long been felt by employees in dangerous professions, such as construction work, utility repairmen, and many others who must work at dangerous heights. The minimum requirements for such protection are described in 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1926.502. The need has also been felt by hunters, who frequently wait for game sitting in elevated tree stands. Additionally, workers entering confined spaces face certain risks, such as lack of oxygen, or being injured while in a location with limited access for rescuers. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration also requires some entrants into confined spaces to wear body harnesses for attachment to a retrieval line. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, PERMIT-REQUIRED CONFINED SPACES 11 (1998).
Given the importance of such safety precautions, it is no surprise that several other inventors have proposed various body harnesses for fall arresting. However, no other safety harness within the knowledge of the present invention combines all of the advantages of ease of use, distribution of forces over the widest possible surface area, protection of the harness itself by the clothing, and ease of enforcement of rules requiring use of the harness.
An example of protective clothing unrelated to fall arresting systems is U.S. Pat. No. 2,709.667, issued to Robert Grubb and Donald Nusbaum on May 31, 1955, describing a fire fighter suit. The suit includes a helmet, jacket, and overalls made from fiberglass fabric. The overalls include a harness having a chest strap and a crotch strap, with a lift ring in back for attachment of a rescue line.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,979,153, issued to Earl J. Hoagland and Lawrence E. Dickson on Apr. 11, 1961, describes a safety suit. The safety suit includes a coverall garment having a harness system. The harness system includes a noose passing around each arm and leg, connecting at the back of the neck to a ring for connecting to a rescue line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,101, issued to Lew Himmelrich on Feb. 28, 1978, describes a coat having a harness. The harness passes around the wearer's waist and crotch, and connects to a descent control device in front.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,216, issued to Rita H. Weissmann on Jun. 16, 1981, describes a jacket having an outer harness with shoulder and waist straps for anchoring the user in case he loses his footing. The straps are sewn to the jacket and to corresponding straps inside the jacket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,847, issued to Bertrand H. Miles on Dec. 1, 1981, describes a jacket and pants having foam inserts protecting the lower back and hips.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,882, issued to Tommy Ekman on Mar. 22, 1988, describes a waistcoat or coverall including channels for a harness. The harness includes a belt, a pair of shoulder straps passing diagonally across the back and vertically across the front, attaching to the belt, and possibly a pair of crotch straps. The garment includes a D-ring in back for connecting to a safety line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,870, issued to Jon P. Roth on May 24, 1988, describes a windsurfing harness. The harness passes across the back of the arms and shoulders, and has a hook or glove at either end for holding the windsurfer to the sailboard boom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,548, issued to William L. Grilliot and Mary L. Grilliot on Aug. 6, 1991, describes a firefighter's combination trousers and safety harness. The safety harness includes a belt and a loop extending around each leg. A loop and ring extends upward from the front of the trousers for connection to a safety line. A similar invention is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,724, also issued to William L. Grilliot and Mary L. Grilliot on Aug. 11, 1992.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,046, issued to Tommie Ann Williams and David A. Williams on Apr. 14, 1998, describes a safety jacket and harness system. The harness includes a pair of torso straps, a pair of shoulder straps, and a central back strap having a ring for connection with a safety line. The jacket includes a plurality of flaps for snapping around the harness.
Great Britain Pat. No. 218,467, published on Jul. 10, 1924, describes a harness for raising or lowering a person. The harness is made from rope fastened with brass rings. It has three loops: one fitting around the torso, and one for each leg.
Great Britain Pat. No. 1,233,761, published on May 26, 1971, describes a safety harness including front and back buoyant material.
None of the above safety systems offers the advantages of ease of use, wide distribution of forces, protection of the safety harness, and ease of enforcement offered by the present invention. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a combination clothing/safety harness for fall arresting and rescue from confined spaces solving the aforementioned problems is desired.